Heavy snowfall forces temporary closure of Qacha’s Nek border post

Heavy snowfall has forced the Border Management Authority (BMA) to suspend operations at Qacha’s Nek Port of Entry in Matatiele, halting cross‑border movement between South Africa and Lesotho.

What happened

The BMA said heavy snowfall created unsafe weather conditions, leading to a temporary suspension of daily operations at Qacha’s Nek. The authority described the closure as a precautionary measure taken “in the interest of travellers, our staff and the entire border management community in the value chain,” according to BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi.

Advice for travellers

Mogotsi said the decision to suspend operations was made in consultation with counterparts in Lesotho and advised that travellers and commercial operators postpone their travel where possible. She added that an alternative crossing is available: Telle Bridge Port of Entry, located approximately 190km away.

Weather context and regional response

Snow returned to parts of South Africa as a bitter cold front gripped the country. Parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu‑Natal and some areas of the Free State along the Lesotho border were blanketed by snow.

In KwaZulu‑Natal, provincial authorities deployed graders to clear snow. The province also secured more than 170 rooms at Montclair Lodge to shelter families affected by the conditions. KwaZulu‑Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said transport and human settlements teams would respond “with agility” to the cut‑off low‑pressure system and that, as per the standard snowfall response plan, graders working with Road Traffic Inspectorate teams would remove snow before it could accumulate to above 30cm.

Ongoing monitoring

The BMA said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates as conditions improve and urged the public to exercise caution and adhere to official advisories.